In the closing verses of I Thessalonians, Paul writes, "Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying, but test everything; hold fast what is good abstain from every evil."
Three words came to me this morning as I prayed on this text: moral, spiritual, religious.
We sometimes hear talk of Christianity as if it's primary purpose is to instill morality. In the verse above, Paul is instructing the Church to "abstain from evil." It is impossible to be a Christian and not strive to be a moral person.
But Christianity is more than a better moral code. It is a relationship with God. It is a spiritual awareness; it is an encounter with that which lies beyond us and our world. "The Spirit" touches our spirit.
In testing these encounters with God, a number of us have found ourselves gravitating in a common direction. We have developed similar ways of speaking about God, and feel supported as we discuss with others how it is that God is active in our lives. Thus, we begin to form religious communities.
Perhaps it all begins with a desire to "hold fast to what is good." From there, we begin to look for the One who is all goodness. Finally, we join our lives with others so that we might strive for the common good and tell a united story to those who are seeking guidance for their lives.
Moral, spiritual, religious - the life of a Christian is living all of these.
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